What if Israel Adesanya had traded his fight shorts for a vibranium suit? Rumors have swirled for years about ‘The Last Stylebender’ getting Hollywood offers, and now, the man himself has finally confirmed it. But why didn’t it happen? Why would one of the UFC’s most electrifying champions turn down a shot at the Marvel Cinematic Universe? The answer may surprise you!

In a recent episode of his Young Man Ramble podcast, Adesanya finally revealed why he turned down an offer to appear in Black Panther 2. And it wasn’t due to nerves or lack of interest; it was something deeper. A conscious choice to protect his fighting career, and a quiet nod of respect to Chadwick Boseman’s legacy.

It started with a simple question from the co-host and his younger brother, David Adesanya, directed at the former middleweight champion and the guest for the episode, actor, comedian, and social media star, Andrew Byron Bachelor, more famously known as ‘King Bach’. The question was, “Y’all have both dabbled in Hollywood a little bit, when did you start getting your first acting roles?”

But ‘The Last Stylebender’ was quick to jump in as he stated, “Not me, I haven’t dabbled in Hollywood.”  When pressed further about past offers, King Bach chimed in as he asked why Israel Adesanya turned down the massive opportunity to expand his domain to the big screen.

According to the MMA star, “Yeah…I just know for me, I can do my own stunts, I can dance, I can learn how to act pretty quickly but while I’m fighting if I decide to take, I don’t know, 3 months to go film.”

Then came the bombshell as he further shared, “So I just wanted to while I was especially on top, you know, champion defending my belt, I was like no. So I had options for Black Panther 2.”

King Bach echoed the fan sentiments as he exclaimed, “Bro!!! Wakanda Forever!!! Goddamn!!!”, while Israel Adesanya simply smiled and added, “I know… Shoutout Ryan Coogler as well”, aimed at the man who directed both installments of the ‘Black Panther’ series.

Yet, even as he confessed his fighting aspirations kept him from becoming a part of the storied franchise, this wasn’t a flippant decision. It came from a deep understanding of what Black Panther meant, not just to the culture, but to Adesanya personally.

Israel Adesanya opens up about ‘Black Panther’s impact and Chadwick Boseman’s legacy

In an interview from November 2022 with ESPN MMA, the Nigerian-born fighter opened up about the cultural weight of Black Panther. For him, it wasn’t just a Marvel movie, it was a movement. And his comments shed an interesting light on how the late Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of T’Challa changed things for Black youth around the world.

‘The Last Stylebender’ shared, “Wakanda Forever is now synonymous with us. It’s a unity thing and it just brings us together.” Describing how the film’s iconic crossed-arm salute had become a cultural marker, he further stated, “When someone black does this to you, it’s like blackness confirmed. You got soul.”

He remembered watching the first film and being moved, not just by the story, but by the imagery on screen as he confessed, “Definitely felt like, I guess most black young kids felt. Seeing so many black faces being represented on screen and feeling like it was me.”

But what resonated most was the portrayal of Africa. And for a man who spent the first decade of his life in Nigeria, that mattered deeply as he stated, “I grew up in Nigeria, so I was there for 10 years. And even to this day, I still try and speak Yoruba. I still tap in with my culture because I never want to lose that. That’s part of me. And every day I remember who I am.”

That sense of self is what likely guided Adesanya’s choice to pass on the role. And most importantly, he probably didn’t want to step into a space where he felt Boseman had already set the bar too high. After all, Chadwick Boseman wasn’t just another actor. He embodied icons on the silver screen like Jackie Robinson, James Brown, and Thurgood Marshall. And most memorably, King T’Challa.

His role as the Black Panther turned him into a symbol, especially after the world learned he played the part while silently battling cancer, which led to his passing away in 2020. And so, turning down Black Panther 2 wasn’t just about timing for Israel Adesanya. It was about honoring a legacy and not stepping into someone else’s spotlight, but waiting for his own moment.